


The Demon Quest

by AConfusedBean



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Demon Johnny - Freeform, Human Ten, Rating May Change, Supernatural Elements, other members make brief appearances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-01-06 15:05:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConfusedBean/pseuds/AConfusedBean
Summary: Youngho was one of Hell’s most powerful demons, feared and respected throughout the supernatural community.Ten was a college student that moved from Thailand to South Korea to start a new life for himself.They met through an omelet and one possession later, they’re now on a hunt to gather the materials needed to send Youngho back. There’s only one problem. Actually, there are multiple, but what’s to be expected when dealing with demons?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is my first multi-chaptered fanfic as well as my first NCT fanfic, so I’m excited! I can’t promise an update schedule since I write whenever inspiration strikes, but I’ll try my best. Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated and comments provide support and motivation to keep going. The rating may change later, so keep an eye out and for those that are JohnTen shippers, there’s a possibility that something will happen (not sure yet though). Let me know what you guys think! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ten didn’t _mean_ to summon a demon, it kinda just _happened_. One minute he was trying to make some sort of omelet with ketchup art over his gas stove and the next, a figure was standing in front of him—or rather, sitting in the pan, hunched over due to the fume hood. The person had barely appeared before he leaped out of the pan, leaving a squished omelet behind.

 

“What the heck!?” Ten screeched asthe person tackled him to the ground.

 

The college student stopped struggling as he felt something sharp being pressed against his throat and he didn’t need to look to know it was some sort of knife.

 

“Who do you associate with?” The man hissed.

 

“Wh-What?” Ten stuttered in fear.

 

“What group do you work for?” The man growled. He looked around the room suspiciously. Then he frowned. “You really thought you could take me on by yourself?”

 

“N-No? I mean—I’m just trying to have breakfast before I go to my classes,” Ten squeaked.

 

The man now looked confused as he furrowed his eyebrows. “So, you’re _not_ a hunter?”

 

“Um, well I’ve been duck hunting with my dad before, so kind of? I never shot anything though, I have a terrible aim—“

 

“That’s not what I meant,” the man huffed before getting off of him.

 

Ten’s eyes widened as he realized what the man held to his neck wasn’t a knife like he thought but rather a full-on silver ornate dagger. Now that he was free, he was able to study the intruder.

 

He was quite a bit taller than him and while Ten was lean and toned, this scary stranger was broad and muscular. He had black hair and piercing dark brown eyes and looked to be about Ten’s age give or take a few years on the older side of the age spectrum. The man wore a black silk robe with gold trimming and had a dagger sheathe on both hips as well as some sword strapped onto his back. He looked like he just stepped out of some sort of action/fantasy book.

 

“Who are you?” Ten asked cautiously.

 

The man frowned. “You don’t know?”

 

“No. I mean—you’re obviously not a hallucination, that dagger was pretty solid,” Ten said. “And you appeared out of nowhere, but you look human.”

 

“First rule: your eyes can deceive you,” the man said. “How did you summon me?”

 

“Summon you? Are you some kind of paranormal spirit?”

 

“Yes,” he said bluntly. “Well, you’re obviously not a hunter, not if you’re this clueless.”

 

The man looked back at the stove where he had appeared and looked into the pan at the now-burnt omelet.

 

“How did you get this symbol?” He asked, able to see the remnants of the ketchup that’s been charred on to the very fried egg.

 

“Um, I made it up?” Ten said nervously, going over to turn off the stove. “I was throwing together a few things and wanted to make an aesthetic look with the toppings. I admit that I was going for a cult-like symbol, but definitely didn’t mean to summon anything.”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the man laughed incredulously. “Kid, my name is Youngho and if you’re not well-versed in the supernatural world, that’s the name of one of Hell’s most powerful demons.”

 

Ten took a step back, uneasiness rising in him. He would want to call out the man’s lie but after seeing him appear out of nowhere, he wasn’t too sure anymore.

 

“My sigil is a secret that the greatest hunters have been trying to find,” this ‘Youngho’ continued. “I’ve been hunted for my powers and my reputation of strength. If a hunter is able to best me, then they’ll have instant fame, riches, and glory. And you’re telling me you just wanted to _decorate_ your omelet!?”

 

“Y-Yes,” Ten said in a small voice.

 

Youngho sighed.

 

“Um, look, Youn—“

 

“Don’t finish that name,” Youngho warned. “God, you really don’t know anything about my kind, do you? Saying a demon’s name gives them power over you.”

 

“What do you want me to call you then?”

 

“Give me one of your human names. I’m going to be sticking around here for awhile.”

 

Ten thought for a bit. “How about Johnny?” He offered. “It’s the name of a character I like in a book I’m reading.”

 

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

 

Youn—Johnny—froze, head snapping towards the door.

 

“Shit,” he cursed, “I almost forgot.” He turned to Ten, completely serious. “Look, when a powerful being like me comes into the mortal world, they send off an aura. The more powerful you are, the stronger your aura is. I probably sent an aura out that stretches over the entire city.This means you’ll have everything from other demons to hunters after me.”

 

“Can you hide it?” Ten asked anxiously, understanding the trouble it would bring.

 

“No. Not unless I put myself in a vessel.” He took a breath. “Look...What’s your name?”

 

“Ten.”

 

“Ten. Ten? What kind of name is that? No matter—you summoned me, willingly or not, so now we’re stuck together until we figure this out. I’ll explain everything later, but I’m going to need you to allow me to possess you.”

 

“What!? No! Look, I don’t know if you noticed our height difference or not,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “but you’re not gonna fit inside of me—no sexual innuendo intended.”

 

“The fact that you felt the need to add that last part worries me. First of all, it’s not like I step into you, there’s a process that involves me breaking down into particles—“

 

“That doesn’t sound healthy.”

 

“Second of all,” he continued, glaring pointedly at the human, “it’s either that or you get a hoard of supernatural beings at your door. The closest one is five minutes away. If you let me in now, the aura will be dimmed and it’ll throw everyone off, they won’t be able to track it here. You now have four minutes to decide.”

 

Ten hesitated. “Will this harm me?”

 

“It may hurt a little, yes, but there shouldn’t be any lasting effects.”

 

Other than a parasitic demon sharing his body, but those were minor details. Ten quickly made the decision. Besides, this would prove to see if Youngho was making things up.

 

“Yeah, okay.”

 

“Great. Ready?”

 

And then he dissolved into a black mist that swirled towards the human. Ten felt as if he got the breath knocked out of him as the mist entered his chest. He stumbled and gripped the counter for support. As he looked at his shaky hands, he stared in horror as his veins had turned black. His body felt like it was burning up yet freezing at the same time and just as he thought he’d faint, it all stopped. His veins went back to their normal color and the burning and throbbing died away. He was left gasping and trembling on the ground.

 

**Perfect, thank you**  Johnny’s voice said from within his head. **Each** **demon** **has** **a** **specific way to be summoned, so they each have a different way to be sent back. The ingredients to send me back aren’t going to be the most common to find, so congrats, you’re living a real life adventure. Make sure you document it for your scrap book.**

 

Great, he got a demon with a sense of sarcasm. That mixed with his own sarcastic tendencies? They will either get along great or drive each other up the walls. Ten had a feeling there would be a little of both.

 

“So, am I stuck with you?” Ten asked aloud.

 

**For the time being, yes. And you can communicate with me through your thoughts. If we want to be subtle, you can’t speak out loud. I’ll do my best to help guide you through this.**

 

_Why would you want to help me?_

 

**Because** **we’re now the same person. If you die, then I get booted from your body, which is different if I decide to voluntarily leave. If I willingly leave, I’m fine. If I get forced out, then it leaves me open to attack. It’s the reason why demons and angels try not to do too many possessions, not only are we trapped in a weaker vessel, but humans have the ability to retract their possession offer. But it hides our auras from hunters and other beings that have a bone to pick with us. It’s a lose-lose situation, really.**

 

_Oh..._ _fun. Well, I need to go to class, so..._

 

**What class is it?**

 

_History._

 

**Not important. We’re going to meet an acquaintance I know.**

 

_Where do they live?_  

 

**No idea. I’m performing a seeing spell in your mirror to find them.**

 

_What!?_

 

**Relax. It’s simple and doesn’t take too many ingredients. I’m going to need your blood, a raven’s feather, and a dog’s skull.**

 

_WHAT!?_

 

**Just kidding. I’m going to need mint and it’s a crow’s feather, not a raven’s feather. I do need a drop of blood though, that part I wasn’t lying about.**  

 

_Um...then it’s a trip to the store._

 

**Very well, take us there.**

 

Ten shook his head and grabbed his wallet. It was already looking to be a long day and his instincts were proven true when he all but slammed his apartment door open ten minutes later, staggering inside. In one hand he held a single container that held crushed up mint leaves and in the hand, he held a crow’s feather that looked a little worse for wear.

 

“I hope you’re happy,” Ten hissed. “I had to fight the devil incarnate for this feather!”

 

**I’m ecstatic. Now get something you can prick your finger with and go to the nearest mirror.**

 

_Why_ _do_ _you_ _need_ _my_ _blood?_  Ten complained. _Get_ _your_ _own!_

 

**I’m in you, you moron! We’re one and the same! Your blood is mine now!**  

 

_You just sound like some possessive vampire_  Ten snorted as he went to get everything ready. _That or the blood donation centers who never leave you alone if you don’t schedule another appointment._

 

Ten was pretty sure that if Johnny were outside his body, he’d be hitting his head against a wall now. He brought the required materials and closed the door behind him in the bathroom.

 

**Perfect. Now turn off the lights, light some candles, and draw a pentagram of blood on the mirror.**

 

Ten squinted at his reflection in the mirror. _I’ve seen enough horror movies to know how_ that _turns out. No thank you._

 

**Well at least you’re not completely stupid. Had you done what I said, you would’ve summoned another demon.**  

 

_I already got one in my head, I don’t need another. Now, what do I do?_

 

**Hand control over your body to me.**

 

_That sounds like it could be a line from some weird porn video. The theme? Possession sex._

 

**Oh my god you’re going to drive me crazy** Johnny groaned. **That’s it, just give me control.**  

 

Ten jolted forward as he literally felt the entity inside of him begin to try to take over. It was as if he had two people in his brain that were currently shoving each other so they could have access to the steering wheel. Well, he couldn’t have that.

 

_You’re a guest! Who are you to just waltz in here and demand control!_

 

**If my host is being a dumbass then I don’t see why not! Look, we both don’t like this. So cooperate with me and I can get us out of this!**

 

Ten considered it.

 

_Fine. But as tempting as it is, don’t you dare use my body for anything else. I want it back when you’re done and in the same condition I gave it to you as. In other words, don’t damage the goods._

 

**Out** **of** **all** **the** **humans** **I** **had** **to** **get** Johnny muttered before finally pushing Ten’s conscious out of the way.

 

It was weird taking a backseat in your own mind. He still could see and feel what was happening, he just didn’t have any control over it. He had to admit, it was scary and he didn’t like how vulnerable he felt. He watched as Johnny made him begin to pluck the crow’s feather, mixing it with the mint in a small bowl.

 

_Oh my god I can’t watch!_ Ten groaned when he saw his own hand hold a needle to his finger.

 

Johnny pricked it.

 

_Ouch! That hurt!_

 

**You’ll live. Now hush, I need to focus on this sigil.**  

 

The three ingredients were mixed and after Johnny deemed them blended enough, he dipped a finger in and began to paint it on the mirror. Instead of it being liquid and runny like Ten expected, it had become more like a paste.

 

“Crow’s feather, demon’s blood

Mix it together, thicker than mud

Add some mint to make it complete

And a hint of who I need to meet,” Johnny recited.

 

As the sigil began to glow, Ten couldn’t help but marvel at what was happening. This stuff only happened in movies and books and now, it was all right here in front of him. He was too amazed to mock Johnny about his rhyme. That and something told him it wasn’t a good idea to break his concentration.

 

“Nakamoto Yuta.”

 

Ten’s mirror no longer reflected their image, gradually blurring for awhile until it cleared. A young man was standing before them from wherever the mirror was linked to. Ten couldn’t help but stare, admiring his handsome looks. With a defined jawline and sharp gaze, even the fact that he had purple-red hair—depending on which way the light fell on it—couldn’t make him seem less sexy and intimidating. In fact, it only added to his looks.

 

“Youngho,” the man said, a little surprised. “You’re in the mortal realm?”

 

“No thanks to this idiot,” Johnny said, gesturing to himself which made it look weird. “He made my sigil on mistake Yuta. By trying to make an omelet. How does that happen!?”

 

“Beats me,” Yuta shrugged. “But I’m guessing that’s why you’ve called.”

 

“You’ve been here for awhile, I have no doubt that you’ve collected some of the ingredients I need to get back. Or at least know someone who does.”

 

Yuta nodded. “I have a dragon’s scale I can give you for a good price. And I have a friend that likes to collect crystals, they may have a phoenix tear for you.”

 

“Thanks, can you give me their name?”

 

“I can do even better,” Yuta grinned. “Come see me and I’ll have them with me. However, be prepared to pay a hefty price, these are some rare ingredients you’re asking for.”

 

“I know,” Johnny muttered.

 

The man smirked. “But given your nature and what you are, I’m sure you have a nice stash of jewels laying around.”

 

“How can I find you?” Johnny asked, ignoring the last comment.

 

“I’m in Daegu and had a warlock that specializes in protection spells set up a nice place for me. I can’t give you an exact location since it’s not on a map. Set up a tracking spell.”

 

“You’re so unhelpful at times it’s amazing we’re friends,” Johnny growled. “I’ll see you soon.”

 

“Have fun,” Yuta said cheerfully. “And try not to ruin your vessel, he’s a keeper.”

 

With that, the mirror portal closed, leaving a regular mirror in its place with the sigil gone. Ten felt Johnny give up his control and it was like he was slammed into his own body again.

 

“Who was that?” Ten asked aloud, beginning to clean up.

 

**Yuta’s a warlock that specializes in potions**  Johnny explained. **He has a lot of rare ingredients on him, hence the dragon scale.**

 

_And_ _his friend?_  

 

**Probably a warlock that specializes in protection charms and spells. Crystals have properties that can ward away evil spirits or sickness.**  

 

_Why was Yuta able to say your name when I can’t?_

 

**Well, he’s not fully human now is he?**

 

Johnny made a good point.

 

_Hey, out of curiosity, was it possible for Yuta to ignore your spell? Like, what if he was showering or something and you had called?_

 

Ten ended up laughing to himself as he pictured them standing in front of a swirling mirror only to get the words ‘Nakamoto Yuta has declined your call’ across the mirror. Or rather, ‘call ended’, like on a phone. Even better, a voicemail system.

 

**Glad to know you can entertain yourself**  Johnny said dryly, receiving the images as well. **As for your question, yes, he can, but it’s not in his best interest—both for business and his health—to ignore it.**

 

Ten finished cleaning, making sure to rinse out the bowl very well. As he was putting it away, he heard the door open. Johnny froze.

 

**I didn’t think that performing a spell like that would send out an aura, but it appears I’m wrong. Get ready to give me control again, we might have to fight.**  

 

_Fight who?_  Ten asked, bewildered. _My roommates? That’s not a good idea considering they pay half the rent._

 

“Hey Ten,” a young man with black hair said, poking his head in the kitchen. “Taeil said to eat dinner without him, he had to stay behind to work on a project. I have a report I need to write, so I’ll be awhile.”

 

“Okay, there are some left overs in the fridge when you need them.”

 

His roommate thanked him before leaving, the door to his room closing with a click.

 

**Who. Is. That.**

 

_That’s one of my roommates, Dongyoung_   Ten replied.

 

**‘One of them’?**

 

_Yeah, there’s also Taeil, but apparently he won’t be coming home for awhile._

 

**How are we supposed to do things with your mortal roommates!? You didn’t think to tell me this!?**

This time, Ten swore he could feel Johnny hitting his head against a wall.  


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to ask, what kind of name is ‘Ten’ anyway? Who pops out a baby and goes ‘Ah yes, and his name shall be Ten’?** **Were** **you the tenth child? Are your siblings named One, Two, Three, Four, and so on?**

 

 _First_ _of all, it’s not my name. It’s a nickname, just like how_ your _nickname is ‘Johnny’._

 

**Yes, well, I _need_ a nickname or else you and any other human who pronounces my name is screwed. What do _you_ need a nickname for?**

 

_Because my actual name is a mouthful and is hard for foreigners to pronounce._

 

**What is it?**

 

_Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul._

 

Johnny was silent.  **I am so sorry.**

 

_Shut up, I like my name. I’m just tired of people mispronouncing it and then having to sound it out for them, so I go by ‘Ten’ instead._

 

**Have** **you** **ever** **considered abbreviating your name?**

 

_To what?_

 

**How about ‘Chitta’?**

 

_No._

 

**‘Phon’?**

 

_No._

 

**‘Lee’?**

 

_No._

 

**Can I call you ‘Chaiya’?**

 

_No._

 

**‘Porn’?**

 

_Definitely not. You mispronounced it, by the way, but the spelling is still the same, so no._

 

**‘Kul’?**

 

_What part of ‘no’ do you not understand? How about I just call you ‘Ho’? It’s abbreviated from_ your _name._

 

**Because that would be a false statement.**

_You’re right. Your new nickname will be ‘Parasite’._

**What language is your name in again?**

 

_It’s Thai._

**So you’re Thai and living in Korea?**

 

_So you’re a demon and living inside a person in the human world in Korea? Between the two of us, your situation sounds more pathetic, so I wouldn’t be talking._

 

**Fine, fine. So what brought you to South Korea?**

_A better life._

 

Ten said this so bitterly with a tad bit of wistfulness in his voice that Johnny couldn’t help but wonder if there was a story there. They stayed quiet for a bit as Ten ate his breakfast. 

 

**So, about the entire me-getting-back-to-Hell thing, I was thinking that today—**

 

 _I’m not dropping everything to go on a quest across the country_ Ten hissed. _I was here first so my needs come first. And right now, I_ need _to focus on my studies and not some demon that can’t get back home. Wait for a holiday vacation when we don’t have school._

 

**And when’s that?**

_There might be one in October?_

 

 **That’s too long away** Johnnygrowled.  **I can’t be missing from Hell for that long, I have things I need to do too.**

 

 _Well_ _boo hoo sucks for you, maybe next time you should consider changing your summoning sigil every few years for security purposes._

Ten ignored anything else the demon had to say, grabbing his bag and hurrying out the door after calling a goodbye to his roommates. Was he a little mean to Johnny? Maybe. But he had to worry about things happening in his world first before he worried about something going on in the afterlife. He was sure Johnny felt the same way about his own situation.

 

 **Look, how about instead of collecting all the ingredients in one go, we spend weekends to gather them?** Johnnyproposedas Ten sat down in his class. **So** **this weekend, let’s go to Daegu to meet up with Yuta.**

_Do_ _you_ _even_ _know the geography of South Korea? We’re in Seoul. Daegu is on the other side of the country and down._

_**Do you know who you’re talking to? Getting us a plane ticket won’t be a problem if you’re worried about finances. Besides, you’re a scholar, I’m sure you could use the break.** _

__

_You’re_ _not_ _wrong_ Ten muttered in his head as the professor strode in and began the long, boring lecture.

*****

Obtaining the plane tickets was easy. Johnny temporarily possessed him to get access to his money, materializing a wallet out of nowhere.

 

 _Wow,_   _fancy_ Ten commented from inside his head when he saw that the wallet was made out of authentic leather. _Wait, you have a_ credit card? _For an ancient demon you sure keep up with the times._

**This is the wallet of—I get around** Johnny said, cutting himself off for a simpler explanation. **Don’t ask me how this works, it just does.**

Tenwasn’t sure whether he should be surprised or not that it did. He wasn’t going to question it, though he was curious as to what the purchase would show up as on the airline company’s business report. Purchase made from Ancient Demon’s Hoard? Bank of Hell? Hells Fargo? Together we’ll go burn? Who knows.

 

So, the plane ticket was booked, now he had to explain this to his roommates. Turns out, that was easy too.

 

“You’re going to Daegu for the weekend?” Dongyoung repeated, arching an eyebrow. “What’s for you there?”

 

“A high school friend of mine just moved and needs help unpacking,” Ten said nonchalantly.

 

“And you were the closest person?” Taeil asked in disbelief.

 

“It’s also an excuse to see him and catch up,” Ten said, shrugging. “Besides, he’s paying for it.”

 

“Oh, well that makes perfect sense,” Taeil said with a nod and Dongyoung agreed.

 

They both went back to doing whatever they were doing before Ten interrupted them. The Thai man went back to his own room, flopping on his bed.

 

 **Your** **roommates** **are** **easy** **to** **convince.**

 

Ten shrugged. It was a good excuse. Besides, nobody would blame him for taking a trip that cost him nothing.

 

 _I_ _hope you’re happy, we’re going to Daegu this weekend._

**Woo** **hoo.**

_Great, now let me finish doing my homework in peace._

*** _**_

 _So, we’re here_ Ten observed as he stepped off the plane. _Now_ _what?_

 

**Yuta is incredibly unhelpful, so we’re going to need to perform a tracking spell.**

_And what, pray tell, outrageous ingredients do I need for this? More blood? Do you want me to get a dog’s nose this time? How about sending me on a quest for poison ivy? I bet that’ll go well._

**Can you stop with the sarcasm for five seconds?** Johnnysnapped. **If you would have listened, then you would’ve heard that it’s a spell and spells require words only. Of course, a crystal always makes it more effective, but for our situation, I’ll go without one. Now, I’m going to need to take control again, so I suggest you find a private place where I can do so. Then we’ll rent a car in order to follow it.**

Tenbegan walking to the bathroom. _I’ll_ _hand off the control here and you can direct yourself to the rental car area. Then you can perform it in the privacy of the car and we can be on our way._

He locked himself in a stall and surrendered control. Like last time, his body gave an involuntary jolt as one conscious was traded for another. Johnny cleared Ten’s throat and unlocked the door, washing his hands to avoid grossing people out and leaving. They followed the signs to the rental car area and after finding a nice car, Johnny took out his wallet to pay. Once inside and situated, he began to mutter the words for the spell.

 

“A wolf tracks on land

An eagle flies from above

A fish swims upstream

 

Find me a person

One Nakamoto Yuta

Go and light my way”

 

 _Wow,_   _a_ _haiku_ Ten said. _And_ _here I thought I’d have to listen to another cringe-y rhyme._

 

 **Shut** **it** **Chitta.**

 

_Make me Ho. Explain the spell to me, I get the entire wolf tracking thing, but what does an eagle and fish have to do with it?_

**The spell is basically asking to track the thing I seek, whether it be through land, sky, or water. See the faint blue glowing line? That’s what we follow.**

Ten was amazed. Next time he lost his phone or car keys he’ll ask Johnny to find it for him using the spell. The drive was peaceful, Ten took the opportunity to just enjoy watching the view through someone else’s eyes. It was still his eyes, sure, but it wasn’t his conscious doing the main thought processing. Ten wondered if he should switch his major to psychology and then study what demonic possession can do. He figured that he probably shouldn’t, he’d have a hard time explaining that one. 

 

They drove, making a quick stop for a bathroom break before continuing on. Their literal guide line lead them to a forest. Once they found a parking spot, Johnny got out to follow the rest of the trail on foot.

 

 _I_ _think_ _we_ _ran_ _out_ _of_ _line_ _to_ _follow_ Ten noted.

 

Sure enough, the blue line was abruptly cut off with no signs of the warlock they were searching for. Johnny walked forward.

 

“This must be the work of the protection spell he was talking about,” Johnny muttered aloud. “I can sense spells and sigils at play.”

 

_So what’s your plan to get past them? Does he have a doorbell?_

**Very few people are more powerful than I, I’ll have no problem taking down his protection spell. I’m going to need your blood again.**

_Oh_ _come_ _on_ Tencomplained.  _Can’t_ _you_ _get_ _someone_ _else’s?_ _Why_ _doesn’t_ _water_ _work?_

**There’s no one else around that I can use their blood** Johnny reminded.  **And even if there was, your society deems it unacceptable to attack someone for their blood. Now, I can use other materials for this, for example, ash. Or mud. Or even honey. But we don’t have that on hand right now.**

_And how do you plan getting my blood?_

Johnny held out his hand and a small dagger appeared.

 

_Wait wait wait, why can’t you do that for honey!?_

Ten proceeded to panic as the dagger was pressed to the tip of his finger. He flinched as a small cut was made and only relaxed when the dagger disappeared once more. Johnny stepped forward, the non-bleeding hand outstretched to feel around. Ten was about to make a sarcastic comment when the hand came in contact with something that felt a little squishy and soft. But when he looked, there was nothing there.

 

 **The** **protection** **spell** **forms** **an** **invisible** **barrier** Johnny explained, sensing his confusion. **If** **any** **normal** **human** **were** **to** **come** **here,**   **they’d** **walk** **straight** **through** **it** **with** **the** **forest** **still** **around** **them.**   **But** **since** **I’m** **possessing** **your** **body, the** **barrier** **stops** **us** **because** **if** **we** **were** **to** **go** **through,**   **then** **we’d** **be** **able** **to** **see** **what** **it’s** **hiding**.

 

He brought the bleeding hand to the barrier and began smearing a symbol into the barrier, which just made it look like he was drawing on air. When he finished, he tapped the sigil and it was as if something shattered. A house was suddenly in view, just sitting in the middle of the woods.

 

Johnny walked up to it and approached the door, giving five consecutive knocks. The door opened a minute later, revealing a young-looking man with pinkish-purple hair. Despite the hair, he still gave off a powerful aura and Ten immediately knew that he wasn’t to be messed with.

 

“Youngho, did you really have to shatter my protection spells?” The man that was presumably Yuta whined.

 

“Maybe you should’ve let me in then,” Johnny said, not a trace of pity in his voice. “Are you going to let me in or am I going to have to break down a wall too?”

 

Yuta stepped aside, letting him in.

 

“Well, at least you chose a cute host to possess,” he said. “I’d laugh if you called me in the form of an old woman. Go sit in the living room, Jungwoo is already here. I’ll be back.”

 

Sure enough, upon entering the living room, another man was already sitting. He stood up when Johnny entered, bowing.

 

“Pri—“

 

“Just ‘Youngho’ is fine,” Johnny cut off. “Or you can call me Johnny as my host does.”

 

Ten couldn’t help but feel a little offended at being called a host. Sure, that’s what he was, but it just made him sound like a tool when he was an actual, living person. If Johnny knew about his feelings, he didn’t give any signs of it.

 

“Here you go Youngho,” Yuta said, reappearing with a cup of tea. “Take a seat and let’s catch up.”

 

“And make a few deals, of course,” Jungwoo added.

 

“Of course, that’s really why we’re all here,” Yuta agreed.

 

“Do you have the materials I need?” Johnny asked.

 

“Fine, forget talking, I guess we’ll cut straight to the chase,” Yuta muttered. “And yes, we do.”

 

“Great, let me see them.”

 

Jungwoo clicked his tongue. “A little demanding, are we?”

 

“I just want to make sure that the quality is good,” Johnny defended.

 

Jungwoo reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag. He untied it and laid it down on the table in front of them. Ten’s gaze was fixated on the crystal. It was a fiery orange and the light shining on it gave it an orange hue as if it really was in flames. Yuta put his item down, moving the cloth to reveal a single, large scale. It was glossy and black in color and Ten wanted to just hold and feel it.

 

“These are some of the best quality materials,” Yuta said. “And the price will reflect that.”

 

“How much do you want?” Johnny asked, satisfied with the items.

 

“For me, I want a hundred gold pieces,” Jungwoo said.

 

Johnny looked up sharply. “That’s quite a bit, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Jungwoo held his gaze fearlessly. “And this is one of the rarest forms of crystals. You don’t get this just from any old mine. I’m actually giving you a deal, an acquaintance of mine is asking for one-fifty.”

 

Johnny grumbled and he muttered under his breath. A small portal-like structure appeared and a bag came flying out.

 

“There.”

 

“You’re quite stingy for a demon with an almost endless hoard,” Jungwoo sniffed.

 

Yuta chuckled. “He’s the literal embodiment of greed, what did you expect.”

 

“Yuta,” Johnny said warningly.

 

“Fine, fine,” Yuta sighed. “For the scale, I want one of your soul stones.”

 

“No,” Johnny hissed with such harshness that Ten was taken aback. “Absolutely not.”

 

“This scale is from a shadow type dragon,” Yuta said. “Not only that but it was harvested from an ancient one, increasing its value and is magic properties. I would think that a soul stone would be a fair trade. After all, you probably won’t find another person in possession of one of these scales.”

 

His cheerful personality was gone, reminding Ten that despite the laid back attitude he had first greeted them with, Yuta was still a powerful warlock. Ten’s curiosity was eating away at him, but he sensed that now was not the time to ask questions.

 

“How much do you want to get home, Youngho?” Yuta asked, tipping his head almost mockingly. “I know for sure that Hell is probably in chaos without you there.”

 

Johnny snarled but opened the portal again anyway. A smaller sack than Jungwoo’s came through, landing in Yuta’s palm. The warlock opened the sack and shook the object inside into his palm. Ten was immediately mesmerized. The stone was a dark purple gem and even radiated a small dark purple cloud around it. If he looked hard enough, he could see something moving around in there. Yuta returned it to the bag before he could determine what it was though.

 

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Yuta grinned. “You can stay longer, if you’d like.”

 

“I’m good,” Johnny said dryly.

 

He took the items he needed and left the house, not looking back.

 

 _What_ _is_ _a_ _soul_ _stone?_  Ten asked.

 

**It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a gem that forms upon the reaping of someone’s soul. You need a special type of weapon for it and only grim reapers have those. In fact, when the grim reaper comes to carry your soul to the next life, they touch you with their weapon and a gem forms with your soul inside. However, those gems are just meant for a transportation vessel. Upon arriving in the underworld, the gem is placed on the Scale of Judgement to determine what kind of afterlife you get. Once it’s decided, the gem shatters and your soul is now free and goes where it’s judged to go.**

By now they were at the car and Johnny climbed in. There, he released his hold on Ten’s body and faded back into his conscious.

 

**However, the gems with the souls inside are very valuable when it comes to things like potion making. They have almost infinite magical properties and are compatible with every other ingredient. If you drop a soul stone into your potion, it’s almost guaranteed to work. So warlocks that specialize in potions, like Yuta, are willing to pay almost anything to get their hands on one. Since there’s a demand, there’s a market, basic economics. There are people willing to risk stealing from a grim reaper to get a stone to sell it for a fortune. We call them ‘soul stealers’. If they’re ethical, they’ll only steal the stones they know contain souls who’ve done bad and won’t go to Heaven. However, when there’s a demand that high and a supply that low, people will buy almost anything, ethical or not.**

Ten was rather horrified to think that innocent people who deserve Heaven get made into a potion.

 

**Yuta isn’t the noblest person you’ll come across, but believe me, there are far worse. And at least he tries to get souls that are evil if there’s an option.**

_And how do you have some?_

**My hoard has come from other creatures paying me for my services, from pillaging, and from buying rare things that catch my eye. Any demon of high position has a soul stone since they get first dibs on stolen treasure. And if the demon’s really powerful, then it’ll take more than the average diamond to buy their services. Soul stones are rare and are considered a symbol of power and status in Hell. Give one to a demon, and they’ll carry out any deed you demand of them.** Ten was quiet and Johnny chuckled in his mind. **I can see that this idea doesn’t sit well for you. Hate to break it to you, but with me, you’ll probably see far, far worse. An afterlife being ruined isn’t the worst that can happen.**

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Do college students eat nothing healthy?** Johnny asked, watching with Ten as the instant noodles heated up in the microwave.

 

_I’m broke, I’m not exactly prioritizing health over hunger._

Ten opened the microwave and stirred the noodles.

 

**That thing has so much sodium that you’re going to die of heart failure at age thirty. Eat something healthy like fruit and vegetables.**

Ten gently blew on the noodles. _I_ _don’t_ _like_ _fruit._

 

**What!?** Johnny sounded so shocked that Ten paused. **You** **don’t like fruit!? Not even strawberries?**

No. 

**Mangoes?**

No. 

**Blueberries? Blackberries? Raspberries?**

_No, no, and no. I feel like I’m having a sense of déjàvu._

_Johnny_ huffed. **Then at least eat your vegetables.**

_You think I can afford to buy broccoli when I could get three packs of noodles for the same price?_

**Maybe if you ate more vegetables you wouldn’t be so short.**

Tenfroze.  _You did_ not _just go there._

**Yes I did, Five.** Upon Ten’s confusion, he explained **That’s your height in feet.**

_I’m actually five-seven._

**Ooh, good for you. In my demon form I’m seven-eight.**

_Congratulation. What do you want, a medal? A cupcake? The materials to go home?_

Ten was pleased when Johnny didn’t reply.

 

**The next thing we need is a werewolf’s fang** thedemonsaid,tonecompletely serious. **Where’s the nearest forest?**

_If you think I’m going to the forest with the dentist kit I don’t have for a tooth pulling on a werewolf, you’ve got another thing coming. Can’t we just go to the vet and ask if they’re doing any teeth pulling on a dog there?_

**It’s not the same. All of the ingredients needed to send me back must be of supernatural quality. We have a phoenix’s tear for fire and a dragon’s scale for air but since it’s a shadow type dragon, it also doubles for both air and darkness. Now I need a werewolf’s tooth for earth.**

_What_ _else_ _is_ _on_ _that_ _list?_

**A faerie’s wing for light, a water nymph’s tear for water, and since I’m a powerful demon, a few other rare items and assorted ingredients.**

_Great._ _Just_ _peachy._

**Oh, do you like peaches?**

_No!_

*****

The last weekend was in Daegu hunting down two warlocks. Now it’s Jeju Island in the middle of Gotjawal Forest looking for werewolves to harvest teeth from. Ten’s life just became one big scavenger hunt, didn’t it? On the bright side, at least he got a trip to Jeju Island out of it and since Johnny was paying, he got to stay in a really nice resort. That meant play first, hunt later.

 

_I want to go swimming and walk on the beach before I go meet my death_ Ten said,putting his bag down in the hotel room and going over to the window to look at the ocean across from the resort _. It isn’t every day a college student can do this._

**Good,** **kill** **some** **daylight** **for** **us** _._ **Werewolves** **are** **nocturnal** **anyway.**

_Great, so now I need to go find a vicious beast in the middle of the night. If I die, at least leave a check for my roommates to pay rent._

It had been significantly harder to tell them that he was leaving for the weekend to go to Jeju Island, so he didn’t. Instead, he claimed that he was going to go to the forest to study plants for his biology project. To be fair, he wasn’t completely lying. He _was_ going to a forest, just not to study plants.

 

Ten got on his swimsuit and headed down to the beach. He had Johnny rent him snorkeling gear and the demon rolled his eyes as he handed the money to the shop owner when he briefly took control of Ten’s body.

 

**Am** **I** **just** **an** **ATM** **machine** **to** **you?** The demon complained.

 

_I’m_ _just_ _a_ _host_ _to_ _you,_ _so_ _suck_ _it_ _up_ _you_ _parasite._

 

Johnny had to admit that the snorkeling was beautiful. It’s been awhile since he was allowed to enjoy simple pleasures and while Hell had its own beauty, ironically enough, nothing could beat the beauty on earth.

 

He and Ten just chatted through their mental bond, the two talking about random things. Ten was curious about his life in Hell, but Johnny wasn’t too eager to give information so he dropped it. Instead, they commented on the gorgeous water and the variety of marine life.

 

When they returned to shore for a break, they briefly fought and argued over who took control of Ten’s body. Johnny ended up winning, much to Ten’s dismay, and had a smirk on his face as he bought a fruit smoothie.

 

_Johnny,_ _don’t_ _do_ _it_ Ten warned. _I’m_ _warning_ _you,_   _you_ _won’t_ _like_ _the_ _consequences_.

 

**Oh** **please,**   **Five,**   **this** **is** **the** **healthiest** **thing** **you’ll** **eat** **in** **awhile.**

 

With that, he drank the smoothie. Ten didn’t talk to him for about fifteen minutes before he demanded that Johnny buy him lunch to make up for it. The demon wasn’t too upset about it, it was good to see Ten eating healthier meals and he could detect the happiness levels soaring within the human. He had a feeling it’s been awhile since he felt like this.

 

**If I’m here and interrupting his life like this, I may as well make up for it** Johnny thought to himself, blocking Ten from hearing it.

 

He also had a huge hoard of treasure he could access, so he figured it wouldn’t hurt to spend a bit of money to keep his host happy. He was surprised to find how fond he was growing of the human. Then again, he figured that literally being inside the other would force them to get comfortable with one another.

 

Ten could honestly say that he was having the time of his life. He’s never felt so happy before, and that isn’t even an exaggeration. He closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh air as he went zip-lining and stared in awe as he hiked to waterfalls. He took many pictures, wanting to save this experience forever.

 

_Thank_ _you_ Ten thought as he watched the sunset on the beach. _It’s_ _been_ _awhile_ _since_ _I_ _was_ _able_ _to_ _feel_ _like_ _this._

 

Johnny felt himself soften. **Of** **course.**

 

He wanted to say more, but decided not to ruin the mood with talking. Instead, he enjoyed the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore as the sun sank lower and lower.

*****

Ten was more than happy to let Johnny have control of his body was they ventured through the forest. The demon was able to access his night vision and his conscious was far more suited to roaming around the forest than Ten’s.

 

While Johnny walked forward fearlessly, Ten was nervous at even the crickets chirping. What if they were actually chirping because there was danger around and he couldn’t tell because chirping is chirping and—whoa, calm down. 

 

_Do you know what you’re looking for or are we just wandering around and hoping we run into something?_

 

**I** **can sense a supernatural being’s aura as well as smell what it is. It’s definitely a wolf and I’m tracking it right now.**

 

Ten quieted, nervous and scared. They walked a little longer before the sound of a deep growl resonated from the bushes. When Johnny turned, they saw a pair of eyes glowing from the bushes before they trembled and parted to allow a large wolf to slide through. Ten gawked at the sheer size of the wolf. Sure, he knew wolves were big, but he felt like this was bigger than normal.

 

**Werewolves** **are larger than the normal wolf, but this is small compared to some of the Alpha males I’ve seen.**

 

They were so focused on the werewolf in front of them that it was only thanks to Johnny’s instincts that they rolled out of the way of the claws and fangs of another that leaped at them from behind. This one was even bigger than the first and from the way the two stood beside each other, it was clear that they knew one another. 

 

**Leave** **all** **of** **the** **fighting** **to** **me** Johnny states, holding out his hand and letting a sword manifest in it. **This’ll** **be** **easy.**  

 

The wolves eyed the weapon warily, not missing that the metal it was made of was silver rather than steel. 

 

“Who are you?” 

 

Ten was surprised when the wolf spoke, the words coming from the larger of the two.

 

“That is none of your concern,” Johnny said, tightening his grip on his weapon. 

 

“You are trespassing on my pack’s grounds and you have the aura of a powerful being, of course it’s of my concern.” 

 

“After tonight, it won’t,” Johnny chuckled.

 

Ten slowly became horrified of how eager Johnny seemed to spill blood. He supposed it was in the demon’s nature but after hearing the wolf speak and express concern for his pack, Ten wasn’t as anxious to kill it, especially since it seemed to try to negotiate before fighting.

 

_Johnny, I don’t think we should attack them_ Ten thought. 

 

**How else do you plan on getting their fangs?**

 

_What if we asked?_

 

**You think that they just have spare teeth lying around?**

 

_Well you never know until you ask._

 

Johnny jerked to the side as a wolf lunged at them, baring it’s teeth into a snarl. 

 

**Yeah, we’re not negotiating with _that_.**

 

The two wolves pressed their attacks, Johnny holding them off with his sword. Ten had thought that Johnny would just be able to destroy them but after observing for a while, he realized that the demon was holding back and just playing around. This knowledge made Ten incredibly upset. 

 

_Johnny, stop messing around._

 

**But this is fun. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to fight again.**

 

Johnny winced as he felt sharp claws tear through the pants, scratching the skin below. Determined to make the wolf pay, he lashed out with his sword while manifesting a knife in his other hand. The smaller wolf yelped as the knife sank into its shoulder and Johnny frowned at his aim. He had wanted to hit the throat. 

 

The smaller wolf crawled away, sinking to the ground with a whimper of pain and the larger one let out a howl before quickly dashing to his packmate’s side. Johnny advanced, sword glinting in the moonlight threateningly. The larger wolf stood in front of the injured one, growling threateningly. 

 

_Johnny, no_ Ten said firmly, watching as the injured wolf was panting from the pain of the knife still embedded in its shoulder. _Johnny, I’m warning you._

 

The demon stopped, sensing that the human was serious. 

 

**I need a fang, Ten. The fang from an Alpha and this big one right here seems to be an Alpha.**

 

_I’m not going to allow you to kill an innocent creature_ Ten said firmly. 

 

Johnny snorted. **Werewolves are hardly innocent.**

_They haven’t done anything to me, so I don’t want to kill them._

 

**You have a weak mindset** Johnny said as he took another step towards the wolves, causing the growling to get louder. 

 

_Stop!_

Ten’s conscious pushed against Johnny’s, trying to force him out. This resulted in Johnny stumbling, his grip on Ten’s body faultering. 

 

**What are are you doing!?** He roared, trying to gain control back. **Are you insane!? You’re going to get yourself killed!**

_You’re not going to kill people who just tried to protect their home and family!_ Ten hissed. 

 

Unfortunately, the wolf has picked up on the struggle and while he was confused, he saw it as the perfect opening to attack. Just as Ten finally pushed Johnny aside—an advantage of being in his own body and being on the ‘home field’—the werewolf attacked.

 

**Ten!**

 

The human let out a pained scream as he felt fangs sink into his arm from where the wolf bit him. Johnny struggled to take back control, growling in frustration as Ten blocked him. 

 

“P-Please listen,” Ten stuttered as the wolf glared down at him.

 

He saw confusion in the amber eyes, the wolf clearly hearing a different voice than he has before. 

 

“Who are you?” He repeated.

 

”I’m Ten, the person before was Johnny.” 

 

“A spirit?”

 

**Don’t tell him what I am, wolves and demons don’t mix. Demons don’t mix with anyone.**

 

“Of sorts, yes.” 

 

Ten winced as the claws dug deeper into his sides. 

 

“The spirit hurt my mate.”

 

The human’s eyes widened, glancing to where the other wolf was still lying injured. 

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t really want to attack you guys in the first place,” Ten apologized. “But the spirit needs an Alpha’s fang for a ritual so he can go back home.” 

 

“If that was the case, then you should have asked,” the wolf growled, eyes narrowing. “We keep all sorts of fangs for ceremonies, you should have asked rather than barging in and attacking us.”

 

_See?_

 

**Yeah yeah.**

“I truly am sorry,” Ten said. “Johnny can be reckless at times and make impulsive decisions. He has a violent nature, so his first instinct was to attack.” 

 

“Jae...Jaehyun,” the wolf wheezed.

 

Everyone’s attention snapped to where the injured wolf was struggling to sit up. The one on top of Ten—Jaehyun—rushed over to his mate immediately, looking over him in concern. 

 

“You need to get that wound looked at,” Ten said, sitting up. 

 

Jaehyun looked at him. “We have healers in our village. However, I’m not too keen on bringing you to where my pack resides. On the other hand, I don’t want you roaming around unsupervised.”

 

”I’ll follow you to the village, I won’t let Johnny take control again,” Ten promised. 

 

Jaehyun growled. “Fine. But if you so much as even _think_ about hurting anyone, I will not hesitate to rip your throat out.” 

 

**He** **can** **try.**

 

”Understandable.”  

 

With that, the wolf began to transform. Ten watched in wonder as the animal changed from beast to man—and a surprisingly handsome one at that. He was tall and had dark brown hair and Ten turned red as he saw that Jaehyun was also nude. The wolf gave no regards to his lack of clothes, murmuring softly to the injured wolf as he gently picked it up, wincing as he heard pained whimpers coming from his mate. 

 

Ten followed the wolf wordlessly deeper deeper into the forest, struggling to navigate without Johnny’s help. But he still refused to let the demon take control, not planning on going back on his word. Gradually, the forest thinned into a small clearing where log cabins were built. 

 

“Jaehyun!” 

 

They turned to see a young man run up to them, eyes wide in concern. The man stopped, looking at the limp wolf in Jaehyun’s arms.

 

”What happened!? Is Taeyong alright?”

 

“We got into a fight with a spirit that was controlling this human’s body,” Jaehyun said, jeking his head at Ten.

 

Ten shrank back as the other man’s gaze snapped over to him, eyes blazing as he let out a growl. 

 

“Relax Jungmin, it’s okay, he got the spirit undee control. Stay here and watch him, I’ll be back as soon as I drop Yongie off at Kun’s.” 

 

They watched as Jaehyun walked off to one of the cabins, knocking before entering and disappearing from sight.

 

“So, a spirit, huh?” Jungmin asked in suspicion. “How did a regular human like you come into contact with one of these things?”

 

“Oh, I was at an abandoned house with some friends on a dare,” Ten lied quickly. “They dared me to go through a fake ritual and I ended up summoning something. Johnny tells me that there are so many different spirits with different rituals that accidentally stumbling upon one is fairly common.” 

 

**You lie remarkably well** Johnnycommented. **You’re not that far off either.**

 

Jungmin nodded. “So you’re trying to break the bond with the spirit? Interesting, a werewolf’s fang is typically used for the stronger spirits and they’re not the easiest to summon.”

 

Ten just shrugged. “He said that’s what he needed, I just want to go back to my own life.” 

 

“Well you didn’t have to attack us for it,” Jungmin hissed. “You could’ve killed Taeyong.” 

 

“I didn’t want to!” Ten protested. 

 

“You had to have let the spirit possess you for that, so you knew what was going to happen!” Jungmin got closer and Ten could feel Johnny’s presence stirring. “Listen, we all love Taeyong and Jaehyun, I wouldn’t be here without them. They’re a big part of this pack and you tried to kill them, spirit possession or not. If it were up to me, I would kill you on the spot now.”

 

”Jungmin, back off.”

 

The wolf glared at Ten before obeying, moving to let Jaehyun through. The Alpha studied Ten, causing the human to shrink back.

 

”So, you want a fang of an Alpha.” It was more of a statement than a question, but Ten nodded anyway. 

 

“We have those, but it’s going to come with a price Jaehyun said. “Especially since my mate was hurt.”

 

”I understand,” Ten said quietly, bowing. 

 

Jaehyun sighed. “I don’t necessarily hold you to the actions of your spirit, but Jungmin is right, you knew what was going to happen. However, you stopped your spirit before lives were lost, so it makes up for it in a way. Look, silver is a wereanimal’s biggest weakness. It renders our healing abilities useless and had the knife struck Taeyong anywhere vital, it would’ve killed him compared to if a steel dagger had hit him. Now, Taeyong will be fine, but it was still a scare. As a payment, I don’t want any jewels or gold, it would be useless to me anyway. Instead, you’re still going to join us on a little hunt of our own.”

 

Ten swallowed, sensing that he wouldn’t be deer he was hunting. “And...hunting for what, exactly?” 

 

“A demon.”

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Ten felt Johnny’s attention levels increase.

 

“A demon?” Ten repeated, hoping for more information.

 

Jaehyun nodded. “There is a demon that’s been roaming the forest lately. We’ve already lost two packmates to it and we don’t want to lose more. If you want that Alpha fang, then you and your spirit will help us get rid of the demon.

 

 **We have no choice but to agree** Johnny said in his head.  **Hand control back over to me when we hunt it and I’ll ensure that you won’t get hurt.**

 

“Alright, deal,” Ten spoke aloud. “When do we start.”

 

Jaehyun grimaced. “It can’t be tonight, it’s past the usual time it would come out. Tomorrow night. In the meantime, you can stay here, or you can go back to wherever you were staying before. Just make sure you’re here before the sun goes down. But before you leave, get your wounds looked at.”

 

Ten was directed to the healer’s cabin and hesitantly entered. Inside, he saw a young man sorting through jars and leaves. The human cleared his throat, shrinking back when the werewolf spun around to look at him. 

 

“Uh, hi,” Ten mumbled. “I need my wounds looked at before I go.”

 

“You’re the person who injured Yongie?” The man asked, his tone not accusing but not exactly welcome either. Makes sense.

 

“Uh, my spirit did, yeah.”

 

The healer, which Ten recalled was named Kun, hummed. Ten sat down on a small chair as Kun began to treat his wounds. He winced in pain as the bite mark on his arm stung but held in any sounds. He figured that he had no right to complain when he was the reason he was in this position. After Ten was patched up, Kun sent him along his way without another word. 

 

Ten handed control back over to Johnny as they exited the forest, only relaxing once they were in civilization again and by the time they got up to his hotel room, he was worn out. 

 

“I told you that we shouldn’t have attacked them,” Ten mumbled into the pillows. 

 

Johnny didn’t say anything and Ten sighed at the lack of response. He got up and began preparing for bed, crawling under the covers once he was done. But while Ten went to sleep, Johnny’s mind was still running. 

 

He was trying to figure out the demon situation the wolves had. Demons didn’t go up into the human world unless they were summoned or they wanted to wreck havoc. Jaehyu hadn’t said anything about a human summoner, but it wasn’t always easy to tell if a demon was summoned or not. The only comfort Johnny had was that it sounded like it had been there for awhile and therefore, wasn’t likely to be anyone he needed to watch out for. 

 

Johnny released his own sigh, trying to push the thoughts aside for the night. He needed to get his rest too, after all. Tomorrow he had to face one of his own and even if it was a weaker demon, it would definitely bring its own set of challenges.

*****

“Ten,” Jaehyun acknowledged as he strode into the small village.

 

“Johnny,” the demon replied through his host’s mouth. “Ten and I switched for the night.”

 

Jaehyun nodded though his already wary demeanor became even more cold, clearly not having forgave the supposed ‘spirit’ for harming his mate. Ten couldn’t really blame him.

 

“A wise choice,” Jaehyun said shortly. “We’re waiting for the sun to go down but once it does, it’ll get real troublesome real fast. In the meantime, rest, catch up on sleep, train. Just be ready by the time we go.” 

 

Johnny nodded and went to sit down on a log bench that was around a currently-empty fire pit. He was aware of the less-than-friendly looks he received from numerous wolves but ignored them, pointedly sharpening his sword as a warning for them to not stir up trouble. As the sun gradually went down, Ten’s anxiety began to rise. He could only hope that Johnny would be able to handle the demon and that no harm would come to his body—it would be difficult trying to explain how he got serious injuries from supposedly studying plants. What would he say? That he tripped and fell off a mountain? More like got mauled by a bear if the demon happened to get a hold of him. He shuddered at the thought.

 

 **Relax**   Johnny said. **I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m ancient and powerful, remember?**

 

You’re also limited by a human body, remember?  Ten shot back. He sighed.  _Sorry, I’m just really tense._

 

**Understandable.**

 

Jaehyun finally came to retrieve them, shooting one last wary glance at Johnny as he did so. The demon rolled his eyes before he stood up and grabbed his sword, the big weapon looking a little ridiculous in Ten’s grasp, but he easily held it so it rested on his shoulder so nobody made fun of him for it.

 

After Jaehyun made one last round to make sure his pack was ready, they headed off into the forest. Ten was jumpy, more than grateful that Johnny was the one in control. If the demon wasn’t, Ten would have no doubt that he’d be running away by now. Tripping and falling due to his limited vision, but still running away nonetheless.

 

“We’re getting close,” Jaehyun said.

 

Johnny nodded. “I can feel its presence.” 

 

**And it will be able to feel mine.**

 

Ten swallowed nervously.  _Can you sense how powerful it is?_

 

**Yes. It’s not as strong as I am, but it’s stronger than the werewolves. No wonder why it posed such a threat. I’ll be able to take it down without too many issues.**

 

Ten was greatly relieved to hear that. Still, it was _his_ body  that was on the line and any injuries Johnny sustained would reflect on him. 

 

_Just be careful._

 

**I already told you that I would, didn’t I?**

 

Ten grumbled but didn’t say anything back. 

 

“Jaehyun,” Johnny suddenly spoke up, stopping. “This demon, it’s very close.”

 

“How can you tell?” One of the wolves asked, looking around.

 

“I’m a spirit, remember? Spirits and demons are in the same category.” 

 

“How close is it?” Jaehyun asked.

 

“It’s—“

 

There was a demonic hissing noise, loud enough to make the wolves wince at their enhanced hearing. Suddenly, a black shape swooped from the air, snatching a wolf up. Ten felt sick as there was a sharp crack and the body was dropped, neck broken.

 

“—right on top of us,” Johnny finished, brandishing his sword. “Jaehyun, I can take the demon. I need you to get out of the way to avoid further deaths.”

 

Jaehyun narrowed his eyes and for a second, Ten thought he would protest. But the wolf only nodded, ushering his pack away from the fight for safety. The demon that was perched in the trees had its eyes on the retreating wolves. That is, until an arrow pierced through its foot. It hissed, ripping the arrow out and settling its gaze on the human below.

 

Johnny lowered the bow, glaring at the demon. “Your fight is with me, not them.”

 

The unidentified demon narrowed its eyes, jumping to the ground as Johnny’s bow transformed back into a sword. 

 

“You are not what you seem,” the creature rasped and where Johnny’s voice had sounded deep and smooth, this one sounded like it had been a smoker for fifty years. “Are you a fellow demon?”

 

“Spirit, actually, but thanks for guessing.”

 

The demon chuckled. “We both know that spirits aren’t that powerful. Besides,” he said with a glance at Johnny’s sword, “that weapon’s properties are familiar.”

 

Johnny cast his senses to check if the wolves were in the area. Thankfully, they were not. If the wolves heard this, he doubted they would be as willing to help them after all this was over. Not that they were willing in the first place. 

 

“What are you doing up here, Your—“

 

The demon couldn’t finish his sentence as Johnny attacked, swinging his sword. 

 

“How interesting, it seems to me that you don’t want me saying what you are. Why is that?”

 

“You talk too much,” Johnny grunted as he took another jab. 

 

This time, he also had a dagger materialize in his hand so when the demon moved out of the way of the sword, Johnny was able to slice him with the dagger. The other demon hissed in pain, wings carrying him back to a safe distance. Johnny felt satisfaction run through him as he spotted the wound in the demon’s side. It was a critical blow.

 

“Alright, play time’s over,” the demon hissed.

 

“Good,  now things will get fun,” Johhny said, letting his dagger dissolve.

 

The other demon snarled, materializing a sword in its own hand as the two charged each other. Ten feared for his own body. Here was this human going against some large, seven-foot demon that had wings and claws. Even if Johnny was in control and supposedly some fearsome demon himself, the odds weren’t looking too good. 

 

Ten wanted to close his eyes as the two demons went sword-to-sword, exchanging blows at a rapid pace that no human could keep up with. Ten screamed inside his own head as the demon’s tail came out of nowhere, knocking them off their feet. Johnny threw up the sword just in time, gritting his teeth as he lay on his back, the position giving him a huge disadvantage. 

 

He desperately ran through a list of possible moves and came up with a risky one. He had to be quick, otherwise it was all over. Johnny prepared himself and took one hand off the sword, materializing the dagger once more. But the action of taking the hand off made him loose a lot of support in the hand holding the sword up and Johnny winced as he heard Ten cry out in pain inside his head as the sword dug a little into his chest.

 

Johnny took the dagger and plunged it into the demon’s arm, kicking at the demon’s leg and rolling away as said beast let out its own screech of pain. A hand instinctively came up to press a hand to the sword gash, trying to put pressure on the wound. It wasn’t life-threatening, but it was still a big handicap.

 

Johnny dissolved the dagger that he buried in the demon’s arm as it came flying back at him. The demon pressed its attack once more and Johnny grunted as he was kicked, practically flying and crashing into the dirt. Johnny heard Ten groan as he rolled over onto his stomach and he swore he heard something crack.

 

 **This isn’t going to work** he  thought as he could feel Ten’s body giving up. 

 

A human’s body wasn’t as durable or as powerful as a demon’s. In order to win this quickly, he needed to be in his demon form. Unfortunately, it goes back to the root problem of why he had to possess Ten in the first place: it would send out a beacon, alerting all supernatural entities that there was a powerful being in the area, and maybe even for miles. Still, it was a risk he had to take. It’d be quick, the demon was no match for him in his real form.

 

**Rest here, Ten. I’ll be right back.**

 

Ten felt his body shudder as the demon inside left. He glanced up as he heard footsteps, Johnny looking the same as when he had first appeared. Then, the demon shed his humanoid form. Ten couldn’t help but stare in awe at what Johnny’s demon form looked at. Like the other demon, he had clawed hands and feet and a tail. But instead of dull, black scales, Johnny had dark, royal blue ones. His tail also had spikes on it and on his head rested a display of horns that were covered in gold, almost like a crown. And where the other demon’s wings resembled a bat’s and were almost torn in places, Johnny’s were almost like...feathers. Dark, navy blue feathers in wings that resembled an angel’s. Ten couldn’t see Johnny’s face, but apparently it was fearsome enough for the demon to take a step back.

 

“Let’s get this over with,” Johnny said.

 

Ten flinched at the voice. It was no longer smooth, but just as rough and scratchy as the other demon’s. Johnny’s sword shifted to form a spear and in one, smooth motion, he threw it. The demon managed to deflect it, but it wasn’t able to dodge Johnny himself, who launched himself after the spear. The two demon’s collided head on in a whirling ball of wings, scales, and claws. 

 

Ten closed his eyes and curled into a ball, trying to drown out the sounds of the fight. Suddenly, there was a snap, a small cry, and silence. Ten slowly opened his eyes and immediately knew he’d have nightmares forever. Johnny’s face was...demonic, pure evil. His canines on both his upper and lower jaw extended farther than a human’s so it looked like a sabertooth tiger’s if the tiger’s bottom fangs extended upwards just as its top ones extended downwards. And those fangs were clamped around the other demon’s neck, the neck at an awkward angle that told Ten it was broken. 

 

Johnny dropped the body, holding out his hand as his spear materialized once more. The spearhead was serrated for maximum effect and with a snarl, Johnny plunged the weapon into the demon’s chest. Ten wanted to throw up as the silver tip came out the other end along with a pool of dark, black blood. Ten felt himself shaking but it was only after he locked eyes with the demon did he suddenly seize up. 

 

Johnny’s eyes were gold, but they were anything but warm. It made him feel things that were definitely odd to be feeling at this time. Ten wanted to carve parts off the demon. On the supernatural market, demon claws, fangs, horns, and scales could fetch a nice price. He could sell them and never have to worry about paying for college again. He would be able to show everyone at home that he was perfectly fine being on his own and he could flaunt a large house and luxurious items in their faces. 

 

The more he stared into those golden, endless eyes, the more he lost himself in a life of possible wealth. It was only after Johnny had changed back into his human form did Ten snap out of his daze.

 

“What the—“ Ten mumbled as he jerked out of his trance. 

 

“Ten,” Johnny said, voice back to normal as he carefully approached the human. “I can hear people coming, I need to get back into you to be untraceable before it’s too late. Do I have permission to?”

 

“Y-Yeah,” Ten said, still reeling from the effects of looking into Johnny’s eyes. 

 

Johnny turned into a black mist, the mist swarming around Ten as it entered his chest. Ten felt himself seize up a bit more, once again feeling himself flash hot and cold at the same time. As he clenched his fists, he was dimly aware of his veins turning black and then, it was all gone. 

 

Ten turned as he saw wolves enter the clearing, a few examining the dead body of the demon while a few went over to Ten. The human recognized Jaehyun as he shifted to his human form, bending down to assess Ten’s injuries.

 

“Johnny?”

 

“Ten.”

 

“Ten, let’s get you to our healer’s hut. We’ll talk later.”

 

Ten felt himself being lifted up and he hissed in pain at the wound on his chest. His body was aching everywhere and it sort of hurt to breathe. Ten closed his eyes and trusted the wolves to look after him as he faded into unconsciousness. 


End file.
